Positive deviance, as Hughes and Coakley explain, is the result of being too committed to the goals and norms of sport. It is the "unqualified acceptance of and an unquestioned commitment to a value system framed by what we refer to as the sport ethic." This type of deviance occurs when athletes care to much for, accept too completely, and overconform to the value system of the sport.
The sport ethic is what athletes use to define what it means to be a "real athlete". Hughes and Coakley's information gathered from coaches and athletes define what is means to be a "real athlete". The four beliefs associated with this label include:
- Being an athlete involves making sacrifices for The Game
- Being an athlete involves striving for distinction
- Being an athlete involves accepting risks and playing through pain
- Being an athlete involves refusing to accept limits in the pursuit of possibilities
Not surprisingly, athletes do not see their overconformity to the sport ethic as deviant in nature. Because of positive deviance, people are willing to do harmful things to themselves and even to others while driven by a sense of loyalty to their sport and team. This is clearly that "do it for the team" and "win at all costs" mentality!
The positive deviance model that Hughes and Coakley introduce in their article provides a useful explanation of why athletes commit these acts as a part of their sport. They suggest that those athletes involved in positive deviance are experiencing feelings of belonging to a special group of people willing to pay the price, strive for distinction, accept risks, and exceed limits for the success of the team or sport. Much of the deviance among athletes rests in overconforming to the positive values promoted through the sport ethic itself.
Consider an incident in sport where an athlete was so overcommitted to their sport and overconformed to the sport ethic that they pushed the limits through positive deviance. Apply the positive deviance model to the situation for this Application assignment. State specifically with detailed explanation which "beliefs" you are relating this athlete's positive deviance to within the model.
Please steer away from the steroids issue in the MLB and find other, more unique examples for you to learn from.
Cite two references, WITHIN your Application and at its conclusion, from legitimate articles that you read related to the athlete involved in positive deviance that you have chosen to discuss in this Application assignment.
This is for my sports management class so can you keep it sports related. Also it only has to be 1 to 2 pages long